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Articles from Chef Todd Mohr | Selfgrowth.com
- What Are Some Tips for Healthy Living? Chef Todd Asks the Experts. - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrI really need some tips for healthy living. The New Year is in full swing, and like I said earlier this week during my 7 Tips for Healthy Cooking, I feel like crap. Perhaps it’s not JUST the food I eat. Maybe there are items in my environment that could be affecting my mood, health and ...
Views: 1121(1 vote) - What To Do After You’ve Discovered Your Recipe Book is Lying to You - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrLet’s say that you are depending on a teacher or a mentor…someone you trust. What would happen if you found out that they’re not telling the truth, or at least, they aren’t telling you the whole truth? If you’re depending on a book to teach you a new kitchen culinary skill, you need to know now ...
Views: 803(1 vote) - Whats the Best Way For Cooking Brown Rice? - by Submitted on Jun 17, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrCooking brown rice can be very confusing if you pay attention to a written recipe or package instructions. There’s more than one way to cook brown rice, just like there’s more than one way to cook chicken, beef, or vegetables. Brown rice is whole-grain rice that is less processed than white ...
Views: 1198(2 votes) - Your Butter Cake Recipes Will Fail Without The Creaming Method - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrButter cake recipes will always be disappointing if you don’t use the correct mixing method. While most people blame the oven for cake faults, the problem is not in the baking. The most common cake faults stem from mistakes made during mixing. Mixing methods are the most important step in ...
Views: 3169(1 vote) - Avoid Destroying the Color Texture and Nutrients in Vegetables! - by Submitted on Sep 14, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrNutrients in vegetables usually wind up in the green colored water you’ve just cooked them in. Have you ever noticed that if you cook carrots in water, you’ve got orange colored liquid and carrots that taste like water? Where do you think the nutrients go? If you want to avoid destroying ...
Views: 849(2 votes) - Baking-How-To Answers Are In The Mixer, NOT The Oven - by Submitted on Oct 28, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrI get more baking-how-to questions about oven temperatures than any other query. Home bakers have been duped into thinking that somehow oven temperature and baking time are the keys to successful baked goods. It’s not true. The greatest amount of baked good worry from home bakers comes from ...
Views: 737(2 votes) - Boil Corn On The Cob and You Lose - by Submitted on Jun 24, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrBoil corn on the cob and you’ll notice the corn tastes like water and the water like corn. If you think about it, you can make a flavorful vegetable broth by simmering onions, carrots, and celery in water. So, are you trying to cook your corn or make corn broth? Boiling is a moist ...
Views: 908(2 votes) - Grilling How To: New Ideas From Cleaning Your Grill to Non-Stick Fish - by Submitted on May 27, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrI’m inspired to create this “Grilling How To” because outdoor cooking season is now upon us! It’s my favorite cooking time of the year, but before I actually get grilling, I’ll have to inspect my barbeque and decide whether it will survive another summer. My poor, poor barbeque grill, it ...
Views: 1143(2 votes) - Summer Cooking: How to Marinate - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrEveryone loves to have their favorite foods cooked to perfection on the grill. And learning how to marinate is an important step in achieving this perfection. Marinating is a cooking method - or at the very least an important prelude to many cooking methods - that needs to be understood in ...
Views: 917(2 votes) - Why Grass Fed Beef Makes The Best Steaks For Grilling - by Submitted on May 26, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrThe best steaks for grilling are the ones that will return the best flavor and nutrition while retaining moisture and tenderness. To accomplish the best results, I always start with the best ingredients I can find. Because grilling is direct, conductive, intense heat, it will never tenderize ...
Views: 1046(2 votes) - 4 Cooking Tips Will End Your Recipe Guessing - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrCooking is not made easy when you’re still guessing. In fact, guessing at cooking increases the stress because guessing makes you unsure of the results to come. I’m going to give you a little cooking help by offering some tips on how to end your guessing. One of the reasons that you guess is ...
Views: 820(1 vote) - 5 Simple Steps to Cook Healthy Nutritious Food - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrEvery night when you go home, you have to make a decision about what to have for dinner. For the most part, we would like to eat nutritious food, but many of us didn’t grow up learning how to cook healthy meals. If you’re watching your health, eating out is not the best option, so most people ...
Views: 769(1 vote) - Are You Cooking Meals from a Broken Cookbook - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd Mohr“Burn your recipes!” If you’ve been following me for any amount of time now, you’ve heard me utter that statement time and time again. It’s not that I’m entirely against using recipes for home cooking, it’s more because I see cooking meals as a personal art form or your kitchen culinary ...
Views: 1323(1 vote) - Brining Turkey is Better Than Burning Down Your House - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrBrining turkey is my favorite way to prepare my holiday turkey. People’s biggest fear is that their turkey will be dry after cooking it. This is a reasonable fear, because “roasting” is a dry-heat convective cooking process. When roasted, your turkey is cooked indirectly through the use of ...
Views: 1302(1 vote) - Cook Simply and Easily with Fresh Ingredients Delivered to Your Door - by Submitted on Aug 17, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrDo you want to cook simply and still ensure that your kitchen is only producing healthy meals? Then you are going to love the idea that I'm going to share with you today. I just received my first produce box! This produce box is filled with healthy, fresh ingredients that practically guarantee ...
Views: 1769(1 vote) - Cooking Brown Rice Methods – Which do you choose? - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrWhen you’re cooking brown rice, does it come out mushy or lumpy? When you follow the brown rice instructions, do you get inconsistent results? Despite what everyone on the internet says, there is more than one way to achieve firm but fluffy results when cooking brown rice. All the brown ...
Views: 1291(1 vote) - Dig Deep For The Best Clam Chowder and Stuffed Clams - by Submitted on Jun 10, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrClam digging is a tradition in my family. I grew up on the water, and had my own boat shortly after my first bicycle. It’s an activity that not only yields fantastic fresh ingredients for cooking, but a family activity that everyone enjoys. It’s one thing to buy fresh fish; it’s another to ...
Views: 1460(1 vote) - Do you recognize these things that make your cooking inconsistent? - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrToday’s cooking tip: Guessing does not help to make cooking easy. In fact, guessing doesn’t help your cooking at all and will make your cooking inconsistent. Think about it… people don’t guess at things they’re sure and confident in: • You don’t guess whether your left foot will follow your ...
Views: 649(1 vote) - Does Your Grilling Marinade Have These 3 Simple Elements? - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrA grilling marinade is a very simple way to add flavor and moisture to grilled items. If you follow these basic rules, you’ll be able to create a long list of unique combinations of ingredients and invent your own grilling marinade. Any grilling marinade will be made of three basic ...
Views: 1135(1 vote) - Does Your Holiday Stuffing Recipe Have The Right Stuff? - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrI don’t think I’ve ever used a holiday stuffing recipe. That’s not to say I’ve never made a dressing for turkey, I’ve had to make it for 15,000 people! Imagine trying to follow a recipe for 15,000 people. Would it say “15,000 pinches of salt”? I’ve been urging people to “cook like a ...
Views: 1226(1 vote) - Don’t Buy Another Recipe Book Until You See This Video! - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrIn the daily challenge of cooking meals for your family, home cooking recipes can be a help or a hindrance. How recipes work for you depends on what you expect them to tell you. Remember, recipes are good at telling you some things, but don’t help you with an overall kitchen culinary journey. If ...
Views: 687(1 vote) - Easy Cooking Ideas a Recipe Book Will Never Tell You - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrIf you’re looking for easy cooking ideas, stop searching in recipe books! Instead, look at your cooking basics. One of the best basic cooking methods to employ for quick dishes is stove-top sauté. Sauté is a direct source, conductive cooking method that uses intense heat to cook and brown ...
Views: 1330(1 vote) - Food TV Won’t Teach You To Cook - by Submitted on Sep 06, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrWatching Food TV won’t teach you to cook. Perhaps you shouldn’t believe or attempt everything on your flat screen that’s designed for entertainment value, not educational value. Neither will you learn to cook from a cookbook. Written recipes won’t teach you to cook any more than sheet music ...
Views: 806(1 vote) - Grocery Shop to Cook on a Budget - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrCooking at home is certainly more cost effective than eating out. But in order to cook on a budget, it doesn’t mean that you have to buy cheaper food. Generally, cheaper food is less healthy for you, and everyday cooking should call for the most wholesome ingredients you can find. If you have ...
Views: 836(1 vote) - How To Cut Vegetables Using The Tip Fulcrum Method - by Submitted on Aug 16, 2012 from Chef Todd MohrI know how to cut vegetables. Trust me, I do. Early in my career I was a lowly prep cook. I was part of a very large system, at a very large kitchen, that fed 15,000 people TWICE a day! My job was to cut vegetables, all day every day. I did this for months! From six in the morning to five ...
Views: 2140(2 votes) - How to Steam Food in Culinary College - by Submitted on Apr 06, 2012 from Chef Todd MohrWelcome back to culinary college! Today’s lesson is How To Steam Food. I’m glad you are punctual to class because you’ll want every minute of this four and one half hour lecture and laboratory class. The students at Stratford University in Baltimore aspire to careers as professional ...
Views: 1209(1 vote) - Peel Tomatoes in 2 Easy Steps - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrIn my efforts to help you understand how to cook healthy foods for yourself and your family, the most important thing to remember is that the most nutritious food comes from fresh produce. So go ahead, enjoy the summer harvest and the flavor of just-picked items, you might even want to enjoy the ...
Views: 830(1 vote) - Salmon Gravlax Roses Make an Attractive Holiday Appetizer - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrGravlax Roses can make a simple and attractive holiday appetizer from dry-cured salmon. Whether you cure the salmon yourself, or just purchase it, my simple procedure can be the focus of a fancy appetizer selection that only you know was quite simple. To me, the definition of cooking is ...
Views: 1155(1 vote) - Stock vs Broth Makes All The Difference - by Submitted on Aug 23, 2012 from Chef Todd MohrThe best soups and sauces are made from intensely flavored liquids. The question of stock vs broth must be considered when making either of these kitchen staples. What is the difference between the two? Why are they different? What effect will either have on my cooking? A stock is a ...
Views: 1367(1 vote) - The 9 Steps of Basic Saute Are Not Only For Bourbon Chicken - by Submitted on Aug 25, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrThey asked me to make Bourbon Chicken for the Beer Bourbon BBQ Festival this year. The mistake they made was asking me to send the recipe. They should know better than to ask the guy famous for burning recipes to write something down. That’s just the point, I don’t use recipes. Bourbon ...
Views: 850(1 vote) - The Harsh Realities of Inconsistent Cooking - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrI know I’ve been asking you a lot of questions lately and I want you to know that it’s with good reason. To cook like a chef at home, you have to break old habits and old habits can’t be broken if you aren’t aware of them. It’s important to me to make sure that you understand the science of ...
Views: 746(1 vote) - The Most Important Thanksgiving Cooking Tip of All - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrOf the many Thanksgiving cooking tips I can give you, this is perhaps the most important. It can be the difference between a triumphant meal and an undercooked case of food borne illness. I get many questions on email about correct roasting temperatures. “What temperature should my oven be ...
Views: 1128(1 vote) - The Only 4 Cooking Knives You Need - by Submitted on Sep 08, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrThere are plenty of cooking knives for sale on late night TV. You’ve seen the info-mercials. These amazing knives cut aluminum cans and shoes! I’ve been cooking for a long time, and I’ve never had to cut a can or a shoe. What makes this the test of a great knife? I saw a TV commercial ...
Views: 880(1 vote) - The Secrets of a Parisian Spice Store Owner: Good Food is Simple Food - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrIt doesn’t taste like simple food. In fact, the Paris cuisine that I’ve experienced since arriving in France, food that has tasted fresher and cleaner than I’ve experienced, is raising more questions in my mind. In an effort to find the answers to these questions, I’ve returned to the Rue ...
Views: 904(1 vote) - The Turkey Gravy Thickener that Grandma Ignored - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrMy Grandmother used cornstarch to make turkey gravy. My Mother inherited this procedure of dissolving cornstarch in water to thicken the drippings. Well, this generational laziness stops here! If your family is like mine, your elders will be sliding the roasting pan from the oven in a few ...
Views: 1209(1 vote) - These Uses for Leftover Turkey Will Un-Clog Your Refrigerator - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrDo you start thinking about uses for leftover turkey as soon as the meal begins or does all that food just get loaded into your refrigerator? Since thanksgiving cooking planning starts at your desk and not your stove, you may not have any food remaining after the meal. To reduce wasted time, ...
Views: 1020(1 vote) - We Got Endless New Dinner Ideas Last Night, Did You? - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrIf you missed the live cooking webcast last night, you missed a tremendous evening of fun, food, entertainment and education in basic cooking methods…a virtual cooking guide. In fact, I showed everyone watching how basic cooking methods can help you make dinner quick every night and still have ...
Views: 691(1 vote) - Why Carve Turkey at the Table? Here’s Another Way. - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrIt’s turkey time! The bird is out of the oven and it’s time to carve turkey! Rather than trying to cut all the meat directly from the carcass at the table, consider creating an attractive platter behind the scenes this year. The turkey is fully roasted when my thermometer reads 165F (74C) ...
Views: 1048(1 vote) - Why Does This Chef Want You To Know His Chef Secrets? - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrWhether you take cooking classes in person or from an online course, it’s important to understand the significance of the chef’s knife. In fact, one of the 5 Chef Secrets that professionals use to create amazing meals at home and on the job is the use of the chef’s knife. Professional chefs ...
Views: 832(1 vote) - Why this Vegetable Lasagna Recipe Changes Everything. - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrA Vegetable Lasagna recipe is easy to find on the internet. Everyone will have you cooking dry sheets of pasta, letting them cool correctly, then wrestling with the limp, soggy, wet sheets to create a layered Italian dish. I’ve taken a long hard look at lasagnas and I think something ...
Views: 1239(1 vote) - You Won’t Believe This Easy, Simple Method for Cooking Sauce - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrOne of the most difficult things for a cook at home to make is a flavorful sauce. A great sauce will cover some of the worst cooking mistakes, enhance most of the best cooking successes and make you appear to be a home cooking genius. Cooking a sauce means adding flavor, texture, and ...
Views: 680(1 vote) - A Great Thanksgiving Appetizer Recipe by Burning Peppers? How? - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrA great Thanksgiving appetizer recipe can be the start of any reason to celebrate. Whether a holiday dinner, birthday, or weekend party, offering attractive and delicious yet simple appetizers can get any gathering off to a great start. Appetizers, or “hors d Oeuvres” are small bites of food ...
Views: 1230(1 vote) - Christmas Dinner Ideas Start with Appetizers Too Fancy For You. - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrChristmas dinner ideas come easy. Turkey, Ham, or Beef with potatoes and vegetables. However, how you START your meal can be a more perplexing problem. There are infinite choices of holiday appetizers to choose from. How do you find the right recipe? You don’t FIND the right recipe, you ...
Views: 1174(1 vote) - Christmas Dinner Ideas Start with Appetizers Too Fancy For You. - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrChristmas dinner ideas come easy. Turkey, Ham, or Beef with potatoes and vegetables. However, how you START your meal can be a more perplexing problem. There are infinite choices of holiday appetizers to choose from. How do you find the right recipe? You don’t FIND the right recipe, you ...
Views: 1041(1 vote) - Christmas Dinner Ideas Start with Appetizers Too Fancy For You. - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrChristmas dinner ideas come easy. Turkey, Ham, or Beef with potatoes and vegetables. However, how you START your meal can be a more perplexing problem. There are infinite choices of holiday appetizers to choose from. How do you find the right recipe? You don’t FIND the right recipe, you ...
Views: 1231(1 vote) - Cook Green Beans in Advance and Keep Their Vitamins Intact - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrWhen you cook green beans this holiday season, will you open a can of condensed soup and let the beans bake for hours? Most people do. Baking vegetables over a long period of time reduces their nutrient value. Plus, if you are trying to have a stress-free holiday cooking experience, you’re ...
Views: 1562(1 vote) - All the Butter Facts From Culinary School in Baltimore - by Submitted on Sep 25, 2012 from Chef Todd MohrThere are a lot more butter facts than salted versus unsalted. This a question often asked of me. “Should I use salted or unsalted butter in my cooking”? Of course, it depends on the application, but there is so much more to consider when using this cooking staple than whether it has salt ...
Views: 1159 - Cutting Vegetables Blindfolded is Still Easier - by Submitted on Aug 03, 2011 from Chef Todd MohrCutting vegetables is so much easier when you don’t have to take out your chopper/dicer device. You might think that the electric gadget is quicker and easier than your standard chef’s knife, but you’d be wrong. Let’s have a race. Ready, go! Get your chopper appliance down from the ...
Views: 753 - How To Cut Onions Without Buying A Chopper Device - by Submitted on Mar 09, 2012 from Chef Todd MohrIf you want to know how to cut onions and aren’t easily fooled by late night TV commercials, I’m about to save you a tremendous amount of time and money. I have a neighbor that owns every kitchen gadget and appliance available. She must have the QVC shopping network on speed-dial. These ...
Views: 1070 - How To Make Homemade Sauces Like The Pros - by Submitted on Aug 29, 2012 from Chef Todd MohrProfessional Chefs know how to make homemade sauces using basic cooking methods, not written instructions. That’s why you won’t see a truly skilled cook run for a recipe when they need a sauce. Empowered with HOW to make a sauce, they don’t need a recipe to say WHAT to put in it. A good ...
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